The #1 Thing You Are NOT Doing to Grow Your Online Business

I have been in the fitness industry for 13 plus year's.

I have been the CEO of my fitness business for 9 year's.  I have run my own studio, I have trained clients face to face, I have coached people online, I have helped open a CrossFit gym and coached, I have worked as a trainer at our local Y, I have taught classes at our local retirement community and day service provider's for adults with special needs.

I have had some experience with being a business owner and entrepreneur.

And there seems to be 1 thing new entrepreneur's, new network marketing business owner's, new pop up shop CEO's...

ARE ALL MISSING.

And this is it.  They are missing the people.  The true, meaningful, relationship-building aspect of human connection.

We are joining these network marketing companies with passion and excitement, we get scripts, we get video's, we get transformation stories to share...AND yet we DON'T do the 1 thing that is required to be successful.

TRULY connecting with people.

1) We would rather send a script that the company gives us with the "Hey! How are you? I have started this new business.....and I would love to sell you this ......it is on sale for ...............and here are results from the last woman's experience ..............Thanks! -Signed, a person we haven't spoken to in 20 year's

Because if we take time to really get to know people.  To reconnect. Meet up for coffee. Or set up a phone call face to face.  It takes time.  And it might be uncomfortable.  And it might lead to more conversations, instead of a quick sale.  WHAT?!

2) We would rather splash our Facebook feeds with SPAM and Infomercial's of our products and fancy lettering and graphics...than to actually have to use the products for 6-months to a year and show proof of the product and fall in love with the product enough to "show" people how it works and why we love it...instead we want to skip the work and instead "sell" our product as a quick fix--one we aren't even 100% sure of us ourselves yet because we have only been using it 2 weeks. Or don't use it at all but hope to make a quick dollar, like was promised in our recruitment call when I signed up.

We make it about a quick sell, fast dollar, and what "he or she" says is the way, and we become desperate for a sale. Instead of falling in love with the product ourselves first.

3) We don't want to take the time to truly understand people's needs.  We don't ask questions about them.  We don't interview them to see if our product is even something they need or want.  Instead we shove our product in their face for a solution of a problem this person may not have or EVEN know they have.  

Again, this takes time.  This takes removing yourself from the picture and your desperation for a quick sale, and actually "going there" with people.  Learning their true fears, anxieties, motivations, needs.  AND it also means realizing your product may not be good for them, and respecting their needs/desires by referring them on.

4) We don't want to personally invite people to our private social media groups.  It is uncomfortable, it is scary, and we all FEAR rejection, so we avoid it.  Instead we add everyone we know to a private group for a product we are selling or may win a prize for AND disrespect people's social media time and use.  

Instead, we should be inviting them to learn more and let THEM make the decision to join our private group.  SHOW respect people.  Again, don't provide a solution for a problem people don't have.

5) DO your research. Is this product you plan to promote or has changed your life one that is sustainable?  Is it one that the market will become saturated quickly with?  Is it something people will truly benefit from in a genuine, long-term, lifestyle changing way?  Has it been proven?  Is is safe?

Once again, and lastly, ask people before you sell.  Is this something you would use?  Is this something my doctor would recommend or encourage?

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO PEOPLE.  Connecting. Serving. Asking the questions.  Respecting.  Hearing out.  Supporting.  

We miss the boat when we miss this key step.  And THAT is probably why you have not been able to sustain your current business or online marketing company....

BECAUSE you aren't including the people and relationships.  Plain and simple.

Because I Am Her.

I like going out with friends... But it can be SO energy sapping for me.  And I have no clue why.

I like socializing with other women and interacting.  But I come home SO worn out.

I would love to be out and about with all of the events I am invited too, but I also know I have to leave most of my energy on RESERVE.  It's what we mom's do.  Especially us mom's of a child with a behavioral disorder.  You never know what you are going to have to deal with...and when.  A flip can be switched at anytime...and you have to be in full on-call parenting ability, to put out fires, and control the chaos.  And try to remain patient.

It's become a parenting protective mechanism I think I've developed over time.  I can't let myself get too exhausted or I can not be a good parent at home.  I know this.  And kids with behavioral issues are VERY sensitive to this exhaustion, as if they almost can pinpoint it and act out as a result.  

But I still find myself perplexed by my inability to enjoy outing's and get -together's without being drained for days after...and it's not ALL my kids fault. ;)

Photo Courtesy of 3Twenty Photography

And here's what I've learned.

I TAKE upon myself the issues of other's.  

You see, I have this sixth sense about struggles people are going through.  It's like I can see right through the face of perfection the people I'm around are trying to portray.  

I can see the sadness behind the pretending perfection.

I can see the desperation behind the perfectly toned body on display.

I can see the need for affirmation behind the "good 'ol gal" heart.

I can see the fear behind the designer jeans and purses.

I can see the exhaustion behind the people pleasing.

And not only can I see it.  I feel it. 

Because I have been her.

I AM HER.

I know what it's like to experience all of these things.  It's tiring.  It's wearing.  But what I've learned most of all, is it doesn't have to be that way.

When we realize no one has it all together.  Everyone has their own skeletons in their closet.  We are all imperfect.  And most of us are just one step away from a break down...

We can let ourselves off the hook.  We give ourselves permission to be broken.  Therefore we give other's the ability to be broken too.

And it is the most freeing thing you can ever experience. It's indescribable with words.

And I LONG for every person to experience this freedom from shame, guilt, fear, and hopelessness.

And THAT's what exhausts me.  I finally figured it out.  

My heart breaks.  My soul aches.  

My mind stays busy because I so desperately want to say, 

"I see you.  I feel your struggle.  I get it.  And it's OK.  It IS OK!! So just stop.  Just stop all of this...And be you."

Do you REALLY think you are CALLED to be a fitness trainer?

(watch this video by Brene Brown first)

I had a tea date with a friend yesterday afternoon.  My friend is working her way through Wellness Coaching, and I've agreed to be her guinea pig for a few months.  And quite honestly, it has been great for me.

Sometimes you don't realize how strong you are and have to be for everyone around you...until you try to tell someone else what your struggle is or what you've dealt with so far that day, or week...who isn't inside your "inner circle" and already knows.  And they become almost overwhelmed and need to take a break...mid-convo...

And after we got into the session and the initial conversation over with...she asked me bluntly, "do you REALLY think you are CALLED to be a fitness trainer?"

And I was almost taken aback. Umm, yes. It's what excites me, it's what I'm passionate about, it's who I am.  What I do.  What I'm known for.  It's in my soul.

And then she hits me with this: "you spend SO much more time investing in PEOPLE...as in, you go straight for the heart of the matter, from what I've observed.  You get to know people.  Like really know them, know them.  People have this attraction to you because of your vulnerability...and understanding.  When I hear you talk about people, it's NEVER related to their fitness ability or lately lift...it's about their struggle or frustration that you want guidance helping them with..."

She asked if that sounded accurate.  I said yes.

She said, "did you notice I didn't mention one thing about exercise or fitness in that entire statement? Has it occurred to you ever, that you use fitness as a platform...or maybe you don't even know you do...BUT that YOUR true calling might be, in fact, helping women find themselves again??!  As in, learning to value their own worth.  Seeing themselves as enough.  And realizing their struggle is OK. You have a gift of encouragement.  And a sensitivity to know what women are really dealing with before they even tell you.

I'm going to go so far as to say, "people aren't drawn to you for your fitness know-how (typically), or for your muscles, or strength...they are actually drawn to you for heart, your humility, and your courage....WHICH come only from your ability to be vulnerable..."

And THAT is not normal in today's society for women.

So she asked me point blank if I'm hiding behind my fitness as my calling? Or if I had ever really stepped back, removed fitness from the forefront of my assumptions, and REALLY spent time learning what I am on this planet for.  What my impact will be.  Or is, currently.

And it has my mind going 1000 different ways.  I don't know any of those answers.  But I also hadn't ever really stepped back and asked myself why I truly love fitness and coaching fitness, before.  

But one thing I have gotten clarity on...is it's NOT the fitness.  Otherwise I wouldn't be content coaching so many variations of fitness for people in so many ways. CrossFit. Powerlifting. Oly Lifting. Running. Beachbody. Adaptive folks...

The fitness isn't my passion. Nope.

It's the people.

...and she may be onto something.

Clara's Story

Dear Anna,

Our story began January 10th, 2008 (the day Clara was born).

      The delivery was somewhat traumatic for me, first time mom and all. After pushing for about 3 hours, using the vacuum, and using forceps they decided to rush me to emergency surgery. C-section it was. Looking back now I often wonder if her epilepsy is caused from the trauma during childbirth. 

"I know there is nothing we can do about it now, but coulda, shoulda, woulda.....or maybe I drank too much Diet Dr. Pepper, or did I exercise too much, or maybe my stress level was too high??? I wonder everyday if maybe I could have done something different to keep her from having epilepsy! I don't think I've ever really shared this with anyone, but I carry so much guilt always wondering if I could have done something different. "

Clara’s seizures began when she was only 8 months old.

      I remember every single specific detail of her first seizure. I was in the shower and I heard her cry out and then whimper, I hopped out of the shower to check on her and as I picked her up she began convulsing. At first I thought maybe she was having a bad dream, but I couldn’t wake her up. I knew then she was having a seizure. I picked up the phone trying to call 911 but I was so panicked I kept dropping the phone. Finally, I was able to get through to the dispatch, it felt like an eternity! Clara was still seizing! That day my baby seized for over 90 minutes! The ER Dr’s had to give her an elephant’s dose of Valium to stop the seizure.  This was honestly the longest 90 minutes of my life. I just knew Clara was going to die and there was absolutely nothing I could do!

During Clara’s first year of life she had about 40 seizures. The one thing we noticed is that Clara never had a seizure that stopped on its own. If we didn’t catch the seizure and administer medication, then she would continue to seize indefinitely. With every seizure there was a risk of brain damage because during a seizure the brain lacks oxygen and the seizures cause scar tissue to build up on the brain. My mom gut told me I needed to look outside of Wichita for a Pediatric Neurologist. 

We just weren’t getting the answers we wanted here in Wichita. Shortly after her 1^st birthday we saw a Dr. at Children’s Mercy Hospital in KC. We found out during that visit specifically what type of epilepsy Clara had. The Dr. helped us identify triggers and what lowers Clara’s seizure threshold. 

So they sent us on our way, back to Andale Kansas to fight for our daughters’ life! It was 100% on us as her parents to catch every single seizure!  When I really sit down and think about it…. It makes me feel like I’m going to have a panic attack, but we trust that God will always put us in the right place at the right time for Clara. God has proven time and time again that He has a watchful eye on Clara! From the time that we pulled her from the bottom of the swimming pool during a seizure to the nights when I randomly wake up at 2:00 am and check on her and she has a fever. God has always been there for us! People often ask us “How do you catch her seizures in the middle of the night”? I always reply “I stay up all night and watch her, because that’s what moms do”. 

Our goal as her parents is to let her be a “normal” kid even though she takes medicine twice a day, Always has to be with a buddy, and carries her emergency medicine with her at all times. We definitely don’t let epilepsy slow our family down! 

Clara plays softball, is on the swim team, is on a competitive cheer team, plays soccer, loves to ride horses, and spends every Saturday morning with me at the gym. Physical activity is a part of our life! She often asks me when she can start competing in CrossFit competitions! :) 

For us physical activity is our stress relief, and honestly the gym is our second home.  The family we have gained at the gym has been our support system! 

They have rallied around us when we have really needed it! It’s hard to even describe how much they mean to us! Two years ago when I came up with the crazy idea to have a competition to benefit the epilepsy foundation the gym quickly backed me 100%. It seems like now the rest is history! 

Our goal is to raise awareness about epilepsy because the numbers are staggering!! 1 and 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime! We know that so many families have it far worse than us, and we choose to be thankful!

I met this beautiful family last weekend at a CrossFit competition called "Seize the Day." It was to raise awareness and funds for epilepsy and for family's like Clara's who are faced with these struggles everyday. It was an honor, AND THE only reason I made myself push through some intense cardio sessions lately to prepare.  Ha! 

But let me tell you something.  You will be more motivated. More empowered. More inspired. More humbled. And have a better perspective on life and your own personal health WHEN IT ISN'T ABOUT YOU.

I haven't spoken real honestly about how I feel about certain area of this fitness industry because I empathize and extend grace as often as I can...

But today, for some reason, I feel a need to express where I am at with all of this.

THIS girl. THIS family.  THIS relationship. THIS understanding.  THIS is why I workout.  THIS is why I run a fitness business.  THIS is why I spend hours learning to be a better coach.  THIS is why I invest so much of my time and money into coaching, fitness, my business, and some new projects coming soon.

AND...this IS why I do NOT have a lot of patience for...

• People who complain about their scale weight after 2 weeks of working out.
• People who say my programming doesn't work because they are gaining weight with strength training.
• People who don't understand why I make them learn to do their own meal prep, cooking, and recipe planning...NOT just give them a menu and say follow it.
• People who work out for the sole purpose of looking good on instagram.
• People who seek attention and affirmation for their six-pack abs and shapely butt.
• People seeking a quick with with no earned gains.
• People who think their value and identity is in their PR's and plates pushed.
• People who tire themselves to failure over and over again trying to reach someone else's definition of fitness that is not attainable.

Basically, 

PEOPLE WHO UNDERVALUE THEIR HEALTH.  

We miss the mark SO MUCH on what working out should be.  And why.  And how. And families like this come into my life and remind me why I am grateful every damn day for my health.  Little girls stronger than I'll ever know teach me how to be strong in a whole new way.  Mother's who stay up all night to watch over their daughter's so they don't have seizures who workout because its their ONLY WAY to let go of all the anxiety, stress, and pent up anger.

These are the people we should aspire to be strong for. And like. And because of.

Clara's

Jessica's

Not our EFFING ego's...!?!

SO let them go...because people are out there battling something a lot worse than your disgust with the cellulite on the back of your legs. 

Thanks for letting me share your story, friends.

Thanks for being the BEST EXAMPLE of sheSTRENGTH.

To The Mom who Yells...

All mom's yell, I don't care how well you parent.

At any given point in the day, the crumbs on the floor...the pee all over the bathroom wall...the arguing...the talking back...the tantrums at the dinner table over tater tots....
BECOME the tipping point of our day.  And everything from the last day.  The last week. Possibly even the past 6 months comes to a boiling point and needs escape.
And we yell.

Maybe we yell really loud.  Maybe we even scream.

It may not even be directly related to the incident at hand or the child involved...but it is there and it needs to escape.

We feel undervalued.

We are out of patience.

We have our own agenda in mind that isn't being achieved.

We are in a hurry.

We are resentful.

We can't put to words why we feel like we do.

I am one of them.
But here is where I am at in this journey of motherhood...

1) Rest.  Sleep.  We as mom's need it.  Yesterday I had a HUGE mess of laundry and dirt and dishes and my kids were still at school for another hour. I was so tired, BUT I could see the mess around me knowing it needed addressed.  But I closed my eyes and sat down and rested for an hour.  I slept. I woke up feeling better.  And had a better evening. If I hadn't, I would be so tired by supper that every little thing, like spilling a drink on the floor, would send me over the edge.  And I would YELL...and be met with tearful eyes and perplexed looks over my extreme anger over such a normal childhood mishap.

2) Don't let the disrespect or tantrums escalate you to anger.
I quit giving warnings. I quit counting to 3.  I quit giving meaningless threats.  Here's 1 thing I have learned, especially with kids like mine with special needs and attention...address the ISSUE right away.  Kids are typically wanting boundaries, they are seeking it through their actions.  So nip it in the butt right away BEFORE they continue to escalate in their behavior and YOUR TEMPER seeming rises to a boiling point and you REACT. (and yell)

3) Stop Multi-Tasking.
WHOA. This one is a hard one for me. I used to try to do the dishes, do the laundry, prepare supper and try to help my kids with spelling words or learn how to do new tricks ALL at the same time.  And when I'd burn the food, break a dish, and my kid was in tears because I wasn't watching their new trick..I would YELL.  So now I give them attention first, hear them out, give them my FULL focus...and send them on their way FULFILLED.  

4) Don't push an agenda.  
Part of my angry yelling was from REACTING.  REACTING to my frustration with not getting my way.  I had set it in my mind I was working out at 6:00 am and my youngest would get up at 5:30 am and want to watch cartoons, have a drink, and was hungry...AHHH!  I NEEDED my time. I DESERVED my workout time. And I would obsess about it until I got it done. AND sometimes I would take my anger over not getting my workout in ON her. And YELL.

5) Lower your expectations.
This may sound terrible. But I had to lower my expectations of my kids behavior and realize things weren't going to go as planned...MOST of the TIME.  Like when we went to the movies, and I took my son's ear plugs because he hates loud noises.  We got into the movie, we had our popcorn, kids were all settled and the movie started....AND my son jumped in my lap, through his ear plugs down on the floor, grabbed my neck and began crying. OUT loud.  And would NOT stop.  And I got mad. WHY?? This was supposed to be a fun family event together, watching a good warm, fuzzy movie. And he was ruining it.  And I wanted to YELL.  And probably would have, had we not been in a movie theatre.  I had to get over myself, recognize his needs, and realize this was the struggle we were going to have...and it would be FINE.

6) Just say no.

Another reason I would YELL.  Because I would give of myself 100% to everyone, all day. Being everything, to everyone.  Meeting everyone's emotional needs.  Answering every text, message, and phone call with patience and empathy.  I would let people walk all over me and it would be okay.  And I would say yes to every ball practice, every play practice, every after school activity, every church event, every fundraiser because I wanted to be a good mom.  AND it only made me a bad mom.  It would be 6 pm and my patience and will-power and control would be GONE.  I did not leave any in the tank for anyone else.  The "else" being the most important people in my life.  And I would YELL at every little thing.  So now I run on a reserve tank.  I set boundaries. I say no. And I value my patience and time for my kids.

7) I make sure I get time for my stress reliever as often as I can.
I lift heavy weights. Throw around bars. Learn new skills. And improve my fitness.  It's how I relieve my stress.  It has helped me through many tough times.  And still continues to today. We invested in a home gym so I can visit my stress reliever more easily...AND I can teach my kids the importance of relieving stress in a healthy way as well.

8) You are the mom, trust your gut. AND surround yourself with people who can help you BUT also know your true colors AND the environment and situation with your kids. Don't believe everything you read.
This one has so many levels, for me especially. And it may make some people mad...but here it goes.  I used to read James Dobson, I read Baby Wise. I read SO many strong-willed, discipline your child, this is how you do it books. AND I would get SO mad.  SO mad.  My child did NOT respond to these methods. These Godly, Biblical-lead methods that I was being preached as the only way.  And they did NOT work.  I prayed over my child. I disciplined her. I read her Scripture.  I saw how it worked for other mom's AND I would get SOOO mad.  I would YELL. Why didn't this method of doing it God's way work for me?!  It was supposed too. It was Biblical.  And yet, it only made my situation with my child worse.  And I realized my child was different.  BUT it took me accepting it first.  Then, it took me letting go of all I was taught as being the norm and working, and realizing I had to forge my own way.  I had to do what I felt was best for my child.  And work with her, and help her in a non-typical way.  And all then, only, then...was I able to release some anger and frustration at myself, my inabilities, and my "less-than" mentality I had imposed on myself for not being able to raise my child like I was being told was the "way."  And my anger subsided, my frustrations with her seemingly inability to follow the rules...my pride for feeling disrespected constantly by her actions and tendencies...her lack of seeing the black and white rules all kids were "supposed" to follow...AND KNOW deep down, she was different, and therefore needed handled different.  And I didn't have to be mad anymore, mad it didn't work, mad I wasn't good enough, and join her in the struggle and work with her through it...in a loving way. With empathy and understanding.  And I was able to stop YELLING.

9) Let your kids in your life.
I used to get so angry when they would try to help me. Or get in the way. Or beg to help me with a task I was already struggling with.  "Man! Just get out of my way so I can get this food cooked..." Or "leave me alone so I can get my workout done! UGH, LEAVE me alone!"  "No you will make a huge mess, you can't do this with me..."  When I slowed DOWN, for one.  When I stepped back and realized they weren't trying to purposely annoy me. Or get in my way.  When I took my own "needs" out of the picture for awhile, and realized they wanted to just be with "me" or do what "I'm doing"..the anger turned to compassion.  For some reason, it never crossed my mind they actually might want to spend time with me or learn from me....FOR a very long time.  I would watch my husband be so patient and giving of his time and talent.  Or my in-laws or parents let them make messes and I could see how much fun my kids would have with that...and realized they weren't actually trying to ruin my life...haha, they wanted to be a part of it.  I would stop YELLING so much.

10) Communicate better. 
I would get so mad when I'd yell out 2-3 directions or chores or things I wanted completed when I'd get home from work or class...and I'd return home to find NOTHING done.  Or it was only half-done or done completely wrong.  And I would YELL.  And I'd be SO mad at the disrespect. The carelessness.  And never feeling like I was being heard. Man, worst feeling ever to be white noise in a house full of people you'd give your life for.  And here's what I learned...my kids were not understanding my 3 yelled statements of chores.  I was not communicating exactly what I wanted in a way they could process.  Especially my oldest with sensory processing issues, my son who can't hear, and my baby. (ha! makes me laugh now looking back at my disgust in my kids and their lack of doing chores, when I now know their short-comings)  So now I write my list down of chores for the week. Each day has an assignment...they know ahead of time the expectation for the week...and NO more of me throwing a chore in at the last minute, demanding them to do it as extra because I am mad....and then getting mad when its not done when I return home.  It has to be clearly communicated for them to understand and complete...that's on ME. Not them.  They DO love me, they just don't understand what I want.

Bootcamp Workouts At-Home

A Sneak Peek Into My 5-Day Bootcamp Workout Series.

Workouts for at-home.

Strength training ideas with a small space and a few sets of dumbbells.

The beautiful thing about weight training is that anyone can begin strength training right away.  It can be modified to fit any person's ability. In addition, it provides the biggest calorie burn over an extended period of time than straight cardio, so you have made a great decision if fat-burning is one of your goals.  It also requires little equipment and space.  I suggest purchasing 5-10-15# dumbbells to begin with.  A mat.  A resistance band or 2.  And having an 8x10' space to complete these workouts.  

It typically requires you to be consistent with your training for 8-10 weeks before noticeable changes occur, but your body begins adjusting to strength training right away and you will be able to "feel" it happening as you go.  
   

 Benefits include:

1. Improved mobility and flexibility.
2. Increased energy and strength for daily tasks.
3. Increased muscle definition and size. 
4. Increased fat-burning capabilities and metabolism boost.  

Beyond that, I hosted a 5-Day Bootcamp at my house last week and we covered all areas of fitness each of the days.

• Arms
• Legs
• Cardio
• Abs
• Endurance
• Back

And so I wanted to share a quick glimpse of what those workouts looked like AND offer you a free printable of a few of the day's workouts for you to try at home, yourself.

Here's a leg-day burner we did: Set a timer for 10 minutes.

• Every minute at the top of the minute, do 1 deadlift, 1 hang power clean, 1 front squat. Increase weights each round if you can. So start light.

• This workout was :45 seconds of band bicep curls, resting :45 seconds between sets.

And lastly, we did :45 second rounds of boxing.  And between each set of boxing you had 10 push ups, 10 dips, 10 overhead press. We repeated that series 5x times through.

If you want access to the workouts in printable form, please apply here and I will get them sent out ASAP.  If you are wanting the workouts AND the coaching, my next bootcamp will be held at my gym December 5-9 from 5:30-6:30 pm.  I have 2 spots left available for anyone who wants to join us. Cost is $65 for the week.

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR EXCLUSIVE BOOTCAMP WORKOUTS

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy

Powered by AWeber Email Marketing

A Movement...

"Today I fought for my kids...Tomorrow I fight for me."

I remember listening to a podcast a long time ago about leadership and coaching...

The one sentence stuck with me that said "as a leader you want to leave a wake long after your presence, as in creating a movement...not promoting a product or program...but in building up people with who you are..."

And that resonated with me on so many levels. But here is what's funny...I've been racking my brain on what that movement could be. How I could employ it. And why. 

In the meantime, I've just been sharing my passion for fitness. Giving my best tips of what I know. Messaging with others who have questions or concerns. Providing workout and accountability solutions for those who ask. And speaking from the heart.  Halfway feeling like my mom and mother in law were the only ones watching.

That's it. I put my thoughts and ideas out there in real and raw ways. I take videos with a sweaty face and messy hair, kids running around in the background, dog eating my sweats. I'm just being me.

And the past few days I have started to see something. And feel it. And while I keep feeling God promoting me to "wait." "Be still, let me work." And in my mind it means nothing's happening.

Something IS happening.

Screenshots of my new sheSTRENGTH sweatpants.

People excited to try out my new apparel line.

I get 15-some picture messages of people wearing sheSTRENGTH gear. MY GEAR. Supporting my program. And PROUD to wear it.

Then, I compete in a Crossfit event yesterday to support epilepsy. A friend and I loved the cause and the push in our workouts at home, so we signed up to compete together. 

And we won.

But that's not what I am getting at.
Yes, sheSTRENGTH is a program. It's a home fitness program for women to learn how to strength train and start doing CrossFit like workouts at home.  That is the base structure.  It comes through email form (for now) and includes video's, descriptions, AND coaching from me daily through an online website.  It also comes with a built-in community of women to support, encourage, and motivate you on your good days and bad. We focus on mindset and confidence.

Ya ya ya. I made that. I love coaching it. And I have about 70 women who are working with me currently on a day to day basis.

BUT, what I haven't seen.  Or what I've not realized is...sheSTRENGTH has become something SO MUCH MORE.

It is friends driving an hour one-way to cheer you on...as in someone who works out with you as part of your sheSTRENGTH program.

Lauren L. Przymus shared Anna M Woods Fitness's photo.

20 hrs · 

To watch someone you love and admire absolutely shine and light up an entire gym......priceless. And to meet a new friend and just know your life will be impacted by her......priceless. Thank you, Anna Woods and Raven Kimberely. It was a pleasure to watch and learn from you both today.

And she records your workouts for you...

And then while there, you meet multiple women you have met through your Anna Woods Fitness facebook page and they share their stories and their excitement for strength training, and competing, and working towards goals they never thought they'd ever complete...

And you receive messages of gratitude for your motivation the next day...

Clancy Mouton-Hoheisel

4 hrs · 

After the adrenaline and excitement of yesterday's competition is over ... I am reflecting on many things that pushed me to want to do this and helped me get better everyday! First my guy Chad he is such a great coach to me when we work on skills at home .. always patient and encouraging. The peeps who came over to our house for skill work Brad, Christina, Danielle, Brandon, Jessica, a of course my partner Kimberly who said yes to being my partner showed up for every skill practice and pushed me more than she knows!

My coaches Kansas Strength & Performance Brian Smarsh, Jonah Ungles & Jordan Ungles for working with me and preparing me for this. You programming and encouragement is amazing!

My 5am peeps who also push me and encourage everyone and our gym as a whole is just so supportive and that is motivation for me to keep getting better everyday.

Anna Woods and #shestrength-I have watched you online and your posts are motivating ,your honestly,realness and huge heart are like no other! Glad I was able to meet you yesterday.

Finally the support as a community who donated, came together for this competition all the competitors, coaches and gym owners who came out yesterday for a great cause to support my friend Jessica Seiler and her little girl Clara to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri & Kansas to help find a cure was just heart melting!
#teamclara

And Jessica is an aunt to Cindy, a client I exercise with at Disability Supports.

I didn't even get pictures with everyone who stopped in over their lunch break, between military drill's (Sarah), the messages from women I barely knew that popped up in my phone throughout the day cheering Raven and I on.

And probably most impacting, are the messages from people I have never met, from all over, saying they've been prompted to pray for me...at the most odd times of the day and night.  I've received messages from women saying they woke up at 3 am, 4 am...and God laid my name and my cause upon their heart to pray for...

Ok, so first off I would like to say I am not crazy and I am sorry we haven't had a chance to get to know each other better so you would know that first hand...with that on the table... this morning I woke up at 3:57 am... you were the first thing I thought of Anna Woods... seriously God was waking me... I prayed for you, your husband, your beautiful children, your business and that God knows your heart and your deepest desires that they may be fulfilled... sorry may seem strange but God works in mysterious ways... may you be blessed...

Whoa. Completely humbled.

And as you lie in bed that night...tired, but heart is full.  Mind is going 100 mph.  You realize you have created a movement..you ARE creating a movement.  By simply being you.  By sharing the good and the bad. By being available.  By defying the norm in the fitness industry.  By praying with people and for them. By sharing you world with those around you.

All from an iphone and barn gym out in the middle of Kansas.
So I say all that to say this,

Do NOT discount the power of your story. Your words. Your truth.  No matter how meaningless and unimportant you may feel in this world...as in a stay at home mom, who works out in her barn to deal with stress, and simply shares her thoughts with those around her.  You CAN have an impact.  Start a movement.  Be someone for somebody.